Herb Jeffries Dies: 'Bronze Buckaroo' Singer Has Heart Failure at 100

Singing cowboy Herb Jeffries, who was known as “the Bronze Buckaroo,” died of heart failure Sunday morning at age 100.

Jeffries appeared in western movies in the 1930s, including “Harlem Rides the Range” and “Harlem on the Prairie.” He also performed with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and on television shows including “Hawaii Five-O” and “I Dream of Jeannie.”

Jazz critic Gary Giddins told the New York Times that Jeffries chose to identify as black. “He told me he had to make this decision about whether he should try to pass as white,” Giddins said. “He said: ‘I just knew that my life would be more interesting as a black guy. If I’d chosen to live my life passing as white, I’d have never been able to sing with Duke Ellington.’ ”

Jeffries was born as Umberto Valentino in Detroit in 1913. He changed his name to Herbert Jeffrey, taking the name of his step-father, and then changed it to Jeffries after a typo on a record, the New York Times reported.

Married five times, Jeffries listed his race as Caucasian on marriage licenses. Along with his name and racial heritage, Jeffries’ age also is uncertain. It is widely accepted that he was born on Sept. 24, 1913. However, he sometimes told people he was born two years earlier, and a 1920 census document lists his birth year as 1914, The New York Times reported.

Jeffries is survived by his fifth wife, Savannah; three daughters; and two sons.

Friends and fan posted fond comments on Twitter.

One of the great moments of my life was hanging with Herb Jeffries, "The Bronze Buckaroo", who has passed at 100: http://t.co/RVMXxyJJaK